Gelb's vegan repertoire is wide-ranging: His cookbook runs the gamut from Mexican to Chinese to Jewish soul food. He says he approaches cuisines as he does compositions: He immerses himself in "as much tradition as I can, and then throw it out the window and go from there." Over the years, Gelb has hosted close to 100 musicians from more than 14 countries and many different genres: from , a soloist on the Chinese lute (or pipa), to Japanese-American rapper Shingo Annen. Gelb estimates well over 1,000 guests have paid for the pleasure of dinner and a show at his loft."Underground restaurants have been around for a long time," Gelb says. "So have house concerts.

The idea of blending them is relatively new, especially at the level we're doing it." What does he hope his guests take away? 'A smile, I hope, a full heart, a full belly, a full mind. We want these experiences to be all encompassing. Of course, you have to eat to survive. But every culture has music, which says something. ... We need it. ... We're trying to feed not just the body but the spirit as well."

The performers featured on the series over the years aren't household names, but many are innovative figures who have challenged boundarieswithin their genres. They include people like double bassist Mark Dresser and saxophonist Oliver Lake – who also played at Sam Rivers' Studio Rivbea sessions. Booking Lake was an act of serendipity, Gelb says.

"For many of the musicians who have performed on my series, improvisation is an integral aspect of their approach to creating music," Gelb writes in his new cookbook, . As a musician, he's always been intrigued by the idea of LED High Bay Light Housing in real time. "And this interest extends to the kitchen."